I seem to have spent the past week or so constantly tidying up, cleaning, putting things away and doing far more ironing than is healthy. But the house doesn't look any different.
Yes, all our boxes are unpacked. But stuff is still all over the place. I can't find homes for many things and the storage here is pathetic. It looks like we'll need to make a trip to Ikea to get some cupboards.
So does this house feel like home yet? Well, sort of... it's a mess, so that's normal!
Getting my books in place went a long way to making it feel homely. The next, and probably final step, will be hanging the pictures. Unlike the cardboard walls in our home in Tokyo the ones here are concrete so I am banned from attacking them. Therefore, I have to wait for Tim to oblige.
In the meantime I have been placing ornaments in place. My Imari porcelain is now in its own cabinet and I get great pleasure from looking at it every day. Other ornaments are proving trickier to place and I keep moving them around until they "find their home".
Now for the bit that made a few people laugh at me on Twitter yesterday... I've been sorting out my stones and feathers. And my Native American medicine bag. The latter was the first item I placed in my bedroom. I've had it for donkey's years and it contains numerous items of a very personal and spiritual (to me) nature. To read more about the sorts of things that go into this bag, look here.
As for the feathers and stones. Well, each to their own and all that, but I collect stones and feathers. I've had some of these as long as I can remember. And I can recall where almost each one came from.
My feathers: Amongst many others I have macaw feathers from the Amazon, buzzard feathers from the place in Hampshire where my Dad's ashes were scattered, owl feathers blessed by a Shaman, feathers from long-departed pets and peacock feathers from Sri Lanka.
In the background out of the window, you can just see my Japanese stone lantern which is now safely placed in view of my desk. In time, I shall make a little Japanese garden there.
These are three of my special stones, and yes, they've been in every home I've live in. I have many, many more, but decided to put some of them in storage for a while. I've also got a few fossils I've found over the years.
I may be considered bonkers but these items, placed in this house, have started to make it feel like a home.
Perhaps it's because of their familiarity? Who knows?!